ROADSIDE AND GARAGE.
Page 69
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Interesting Contributions from Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
A Silent Coupling.
THE shaft which drives the pump of the 5-ton Pierce-Arrow is said to produce much floiSer when it has been in use for a time, owing to wear in the dogs of its couplings. One of our correspondents, " O.A.C.," of Wakefield, has found a remedy for this by removing the shaft and replacing it by a length of very stout rubber hose, as indicated in a sketch.
He made two pieces of mild steel to fit on the ends of the shaft from the timing gear and the shaft from the pump. These he pinned as shown and drilled them to take A-in. bolts, which pass through the hose. Under the bolt head and nuts he fitted curved pieces so that the bolts had a better grip of the hose.
He tells us that he has been running this coupling for six months without it giving any trouble. This correspondent, like so many others, finds hie engine very difficult to start on a cold morning; he says that unless he adopts some special means for assisting the operation he finds it almost impossible. lie is fortunate, however, in being able to get a supply of hot water, which he pours into his empty radiator. This enables him to start without much labour, and when the engine is going well he fills up the rest of the radiator with cold water.
Three Useful Hints.
FRO II " J.P.," of Leeds, we have
received the following contributions, all of which may be useful at times, although we hardly agree with suggestions for prolonging the life of any part that is obviously worn out, as we have found that such measures usually mean more cost in the long run, nor do we agree with drivers being expected to improvise tools that can be bought for a trifling sum ; such 'suggestions, however, are as well to know, for there are occasions when• new parts and special tools are not procurable, so makeshifts have to be employed.
There comes a time in the life of a link belt when instead of its bearing on the V-shaped sides of the groove in the pulley it comes into contact with the bottom of the groove. When this time arrives the belt will no longer drive properly and much rattle of the steel parts on the pulley will be heard. Our correspondent finds that by turning the belt inside out he can prolong its life and that it will soon conform to the shape of the groove. Our opinion is that this might be useful as a "get .home measure, but when a belt reaches this stage it can no longer be relied upon for service.
The same correspondent tells us how he has made a cutter for resenting valves out of a discarded valve. His method is ingenious and simple. He takes the old valve and makes a number of saw-cuts as shown in the sketch (he recommends six). Into these cuts he wedges pieces of broken saw blade, leaving them well proud of the valve face. He then grinds then down until they are only lust perceptibly proud, giving thou a slight bevel so that they can act as cutters. A few turns with a screwdriver or brace, he tells us, will be sufficient to bring the seating to its original form. It is well known that the nuts and turabuckles of brake adjusters will often be found to be verY tight. This Le usually due to grit lodging in the threads, This grit, he suggests, can be easily removed from the threads by rubbing with a file card.
Refacing Brake Shoes.
TWO suggestions sent us by " A.11.P.," of Honey, appear to be very practical. He says :—
" A method that I use for refacing brake shoes with asbestos fabric, and which I believe to be original, may be of interest. It refers to the shoes on the Morris, but is applicable to most other types.
"Obtain a piece of 1-in. round mild steel, 1 in. longer than half the inner circumference of the brake drum screw it at each end for about 1 in., and bend to the shape of the shoe. Procure a piece of flat stock, say, 1/ in. by * in. or any convenient size that may be available, and cut it a little longer than the diameter of the drum, then drill /-in. clearance holes at each end. Thie jig should be bolted on the shoe and fabric, as in the sketch, thus enabltng drilling, countersinking and riveting operations to be carried out while the fabric is fixed in position.
"A it is necessary to use a longer drill than standard, this can be made
as follows : For a drill, take a piece of 1-in. round mild steel, and, if a lathe be available, centre it with a sharp hand tool and drill up 1 in. with the drill to be used on the job. If there be no lathe, fit a short piece of 1-in. pipe over the end of the 1-in, rod with a piece of tin around it and, using this as a guide for the centre, drill the end of the stock with a 1-in. drill to a depth of half, the diameter, then follow up this centre with the drill to be used on the job. The drill should then be soldered into, the hole and the rod cut to suit the diameter of the shoe. "A snap punch should always be used for aluminium rivets. Cast steel is not -necessary for this tool, as a piece of mild steel the right diameter put in a chuck and machined out with a roundend hand tool can be made in a few minutes, and, apart from appearance, makes a stronger job."
A Sentinel Boiler Tip.
THE, driver of a Sentinel steamer,
"W.M.O.," of Frampton-on-Severn, tells us how he used to get a stiff neck when standing in a pit underneath his boiler while he removed and replaced the bottom row of bolts and nuts when dropping the boiler for retubing, having to look up frequently and hold his arms up all the time. Holding the arms in this position for long was also very tiring, and as he has found a way by means of which the job can be donein comfort he thinks the tip may be appreciated by others.
The tool he made for this job is very simple, and the material of which it is formed can be found in any -garage where Sentinels are in use. It consists of a box spanner, about 18 ins, long, made from an old Sentinel stay tube with the threaded parts at the ends cut off, a tomnay-bar fitted at its lower end, and the upper end shaped to hold the nut. This allows a man to stand in a
natural position while working. • For driving the plain tubes out he uses an old Sentinel water-pump plunger with the square part cut oil; this, he says, makes a good punch for the job. After cutting through the end of the tube at three equally spaced places with a diamond-nosed chisel, and then turnin each part inwards, the tube can be driven out by means of the punch and a sledge hammer. He warns beginners not to cut too deeply with the diamond chisel.